Heart Valve Disease Patient Stories

Every day, our heart and vascular health care team makes a difference in the lives of our patients.

The stories below profile some of the patients who came to UPMC for heart and vascular care.

Note: These patients' treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.

Julie – Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Julie was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart defect where the heart’s aortic valve has only two leaflets instead of three. She would need open heart surgery to repair her condition. Read her story.

Julie was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart defect where the heart’s aortic valve has only two leaflets instead of three. When she needed open heart surgery, Julie turned to the experts at UPMC for care.

Read Julie's story

Sumner Bemis: Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Sumner followed Saul Silver, MD, as his cardiologist for years. During a routine visit, Dr. Silver found Sumner had a heart murmur caused by mitral valve regurgitation and recommended that he undergo robotic mitral valve repair.

Read Sumner Bemis's story

Bob Kleppner: Mitral Valve Prolapse (NeoChord® Trial)

After being diagnosed with bicuspid aortic valve, Bob Kleppner sought care with the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute. When Bob began to experience mitral valve prolapse, he was presented with the opportunity to be the first patient in a new clinical trial. Today, Bob is healthy and active once again.

Read Bob Kleppner's story

Dan Demarines: Mitral Valve Prolapse

When Dan's chest pain worsened, he was referred to UPMC has his heart valve repaired using minimally invasive robotic surgery.

Read Dan Demarines's story

Jeff Donato: Mitral Valve Prolapse

Jeff, who races in 10 triathlons a year, was struggling during his workouts when he was diagnosed mitral valve prolapse.

Read Jeff Donato's story

Bill Kubacki: Mitral Regurgitation

HVI patient Bill Kubacki | Mitral Valve Leak Patient

Bill Kubacki underwent a minimally invasive procedure to fix severe leakage in his mitral valve.

Read Bill Kubacki's story

David May: Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation

David underwent both the minimally invasive TAVR procedure and the minimally invasive MitraClip® procedure to repair his heart following a heart attack.

Read David May's story

Bev Meermans: Mitral Valve Disease

At 91 years old, Bev was diagnosed with cardiac failure as a result of mitral valve regurgitation. She underwent the minimally invasive MitraClip® procedure and was able to return to her active lifestyle.

Read Bev Meermans's story

Colleen Shirey: Mitral Valve Prolapse

HVI patient Collen Shirey | Robotic-assisted Valve Repair Patient Story

Colleen's heart valve needed to be repaired, and it was recommended for her to have minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery.

Read Colleen Shirey's story

Kenneth Humphrey: Functional Mitral Regurgitation

Kenneth was suffering the effects of functional mitral regurgitation when he was enrolled in the COAPT clinical trial through UPMC Presbyterian. After his Mitraclip® procedure, Kenneth regained his health and independence.

Read Kenneth Humphrey's story